Blessed Are The Persecuted :: Deeper Devotion

By Glenn Ansley

Matthew 5:10-11
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.

It should be no surprise to us that Jesus would promise the greatest of all possible blessings to those of us who are willing to endure persecution for His name’s sake. The gospel of Matthew tells us a great deal about the Kingdom of Heaven. It is compared to a treasure hidden in a field (13:44), a fine pearl sought after by merchants (13:45), and promised as a gift to those who endure persecution because of their faith in Jesus.

If you are truly living like Jesus expects you to live (poor in spirit, gentle, righteous, merciful and peaceful) it will only be a matter of time before you are persecuted because of your faith (2 Timothy 3:12). When that time comes, you must stand firm in your faith. Study the Scriptures now so that you may be encouraged then. There exists nothing on earth that can take away the joy of your eternal life with Christ Jesus. He alone is your hope for the future and your satisfaction in the present. Only the child of God can take comfort in the midst of persecution and insult because it is only the child of God that possesses the Kingdom of Heaven. What will you place your hope in today? Only Jesus and the His promise of the Kingdom of Heaven is enough to keep you happy in the midst of persecution and insult.

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